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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24311341">Ground Control.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/graceharper/pseuds/graceharper'>graceharper</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Terminator, Terminator: Dark Fate</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:41:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,968</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24311341</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/graceharper/pseuds/graceharper</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>I like happy endings.</p>
<p>Don't be afraid if you start floating away.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Grace Harper/Dani Ramos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ground Control.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a part collaboration with my best friend and some of it comes from roleplay threads. I enjoyed it so much, you're getting a rewrite.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Everything was loud. Everything was amplified. Grace was already straining. The stab wound in her abdomen screaming in protest. She was pulling with all her waning strength. It’s going to be some kind of stalemate. At least until her limited abilities crash. Then the rev-9 looks at Dani, nothing in it’s eyes but it’s mission: to kill Dani. It doesn’t have the range of human abilities Grace does. The willpower. The love. Commander Dani was her best friend, the woman that saved her. Now she owes Dani her life. Grace through her head back, determination set in her handsome features. She pulls, Carl pushes, the Rev-9 resists but Grace keeps pulling. All her inhuman augmentations straining, the exoskeleton skin on her arms crack. She doesn’t feel much anymore, but she feels that. Her skin isn’t her skin anymore, but it still has nerves - nerves are necessary for understanding when she’s under too much pressure. Like now, but they’re winning. Her and Carl. The Rev-9 can no longer even keep its eyes on Dani. Grace’s own eyes close in the process. Everything is louder, getting louder.</p>
<p>Grace’s eyes open to someone laying on their horn. She sits up instantly. Dani and Sarah stop conversing. Dani turns to regard Grace. “Hey,” Dani just says softly, turning in her seat to regard Grace more. Grace’s eyes darting around. It’s dark out, a car swerving recklessly through traffic. Just a simple jerk-off, no real danger or Sarah and Dani wouldn’t be so relaxed right now. Grace actually flinches. There’s still that stab wound in her abdomen. It took a lot to haul the cyborg out of there. The very last of her strength before she was nearly dead in the backseat of the car. She feels fine now, one of them must have gotten the meds.</p>
<p>“Hey.” Grace answers, blue eyes finally meeting Dani’s brown when she finalized that they were fine. The Rev-9 was dead. Dani said it herself when she was urging Grace to get out of there. You did it, you saved me, we can go. “You alright?” It’s always so soft when Grace asks that. Even with Grace’s firm features and steady blue eyes, the way she needs to know if Dani is okay isn’t just a mission. It’s affection.</p>
<p>“You’re the one missing half your neck, Grace.” Sarah’s voice was firm, there’s something a little more motherly than annoyed it in now. It’s Grace’s abdomen that’s killing her that she barely even noticed. Her hand reaches up, touching the firm leather like exoskeleton that makes up her new skin. It’s pulsing, the ability to patch itself up and heal like human skin. It’s going to take awhile. Especially when the thin varicose wiring is showing too. Grace grimaces; not really out of pain, but out of dysphoria. The realization that hits her harder than the Rev-9 ever could. She’s a cyborg. She’s augmented. They literally tore her apart and put a whole bunch of synthetic materials in her to make her a super soldier.</p>
<p>Grace just sighs. Dani’s looking at her. The woman even opens her mouth to comment, probably, on the look on Grace’s face so Grace quickly changes the subject. “What’s the plan, Sarah?” Dani blinks. Blue eyes glance into brown. A moment tense. Just a second of a moment. Dani knew exactly what Grace just did, but she also wasn’t going to ignore that question. Dani’s hand reaches up, just motioning to the older woman driving.</p>
<p>“No more Rev-9. Sarah’s heading for a small town outside of Texas, then we’re going to go back to Carl’s cabin. Stock up on supplies. Rest for the night.” It’s Dani that answers, head tilting, brown eyes just surveying Grace. She looked like she had a thousand questions.</p>
<p>“We’re here, actually.” But, Sarah cut in. Even accidentally. All eyes moved back to the windows. To the comforting lights of the town. Civilization. They were so disconnected from the world for a while there. Still have to be. It’s something. Nothing Grace is particularly used to.</p>
<p>Feet in heavy boots marched along the hallway. Steps so heavy they echoed. In tune. Left foot. Right foot. Dani and Grace’s feet matched up. It’s rare to see The Commander without Grace Harper. The woman wasn’t even an officer, but they were always together. Nobody really questioned it, there were no rumors. Grace and Dani were just a partnership. A team. They worked well together and that’s just what the Resistance needed. Everyone close to them knew they were best friends. Just inseparable. A term that seems juvenile for the end of the world, but that’s what makes them stand out. That’s why Dani is so different. She remembers the old world, remembers before, reminds everyone. They are humanity. There are guards at various corners, nobody is without a gun. Everything is dark. They lived in well fortified bunkers, nothing that legion can touch. There were no more towns anymore. Just the bases, kids were even put to work. Not as long and hard. The only thing anyone ever had was simple moments. Dani pushed open the door to her room. It actually served as both an office and her quarters. A small sink and toilet in the corner, a bunk bed cramped to the side, a desk and chair in the middle. That’s it. Grace always slept on the top bunk. She was just always there to protect Dani and what Dani meant for humanity: hope.</p>
<p>Grace’s head tilted back in the shower. Blood and dirt swirled around her feet. It took a few minutes before it was just clear water. She was dirty and she ached, but she already spent a few minutes in the shower. That was luxury enough, so Grace got out of the shower and put on the jeans and t-shirt Sarah and Dani had acquired for her. She didn’t ask how. Grace stood in front of the mirror, wiped away the steam. Blinked. Hottest shower she’s taken since she was a kid. The grimace was back on her face, but she reached up and prodded the neck that looked torn apart. Not as bad. It was already healing. Should be good by the end of the week. Wires were already coming back together to recreate the synthetic skin. She pulled on the last piece of clothing, a pull over hoodie. Hid some of it. The rest of it just looked like a gnarly wound now. Nobody’s going to assume she’s part fucking robot. Grace just walked out of the bathroom with that same grimace on her face. Dani was waiting for her, standing up from the bed and pushing her hands into the pockets of her own jeans.</p>
<p>“There’s a festival going on in town.” Dani’s moving closer, head tilting up to look at Grace’s face. Voice soft. Grace just nods, missing the point. She’s so stoic. There’s this second in which everything is too clear. The augmented super soldier standing in front of the younger Commander. A different time. A different place. A different Dani, the same Grace. Grace left her best friend to save this version of her. Left a world that needed her. Everything aches and this time it wasn’t the stab wound in her side. The one that already stopped bleeding. So, when Sarah comes in and simply says, “I’m starving, let’s go.” And then walks out the door, Dani reaches up her hand to rest on Grace’s face. That’s Dani’s love language. It still holds the same and Grace can’t even argue. There’s no Rev-9. There’s still Legion and Grace wants to scream about it, but that’s not Grace. She doesn’t yell. She doesn’t scream. She’s stoic. She’s also hungry. Dani’s fingertips burn a more lasting, friendly feeling into her not-quite-skin more than even the open wounds could. Suddenly, it’s natural. Dani just resting her hand in the crook of Grace’s elbow as they walk to the festival. The way Dani laughs softly and freely when Grace practically inhales her food. It even seems natural, Dani swaying slightly to the music playing right next to Grace. Grace just sits there contemplating how she’s going to ask Dani to get her more food without seeming like a damn teenager. Or, maybe make her food. That was Commander Dani’s human thing too. She still made them meals all the time. It was certainly natural when Dani took Grace’s hand and Grace just rose to her feet with Dani’s tug without thinking what was about to happen.</p>
<p>The moment actually hit her. They were halfway there, blue eyes flickering, HUD  registering dancing, laughing individuals like they might actually be a threat before she realized  the cybernetic part of her was kicking in because the human part of her was slightly panicking. Very slightly. Grace suddenly stopped, pulling Dani back around and into her, head bobbing  downwards to get closer to Dani before whispering hurriedly: “Whoa, hey, Dani. I can’t fucking dance. I fight things.”</p>
<p>Dani breathed in. She’s suddenly right up against Grace, head tilted up to hear the taller woman. There was no discomfort. Only surprise. Dani smiles. “Yeah, I know you do.” Dani’s tone was just a little playful. She didn’t really notice her hand was on Grace’s stomach from the tug until it was moving to Grace’s hip. Dani’s other hand moving up to rest on the other side of Grace’s hip. Surprisingly, for Grace being like a 200 pound super soldier, it didn’t take any strength at all for Dani to pull Grace all the way into where everyone was dancing. It wasn’t a fast beat either, just something upbeat and relaxing but slower. Dani’s hands wrap around both of Grace’s forearms, pulling Grace’s arms around her waist. Grace certainly doesn’t protest. Her hands just splay along Dani’s lower back. Dani’s hands move up Grace’s arms when she has Grace where she wants Grace. Maybe, subtlety, fingers running along biceps until Dani’s arms were on Grace’s shoulders.</p>
<p>Grace’s heart doesn’t beat nearly as fast when she’s in the middle of a fight. She’s always been open (with herself) about her crush on Dani. Just a stupid teenager thing, but she’s professional and she understands what Dani means not just to her, but to everyone. It’s just suddenly… everything in this moment. Grace isn’t just an augmented super soldier fighting to protect humanity. She’s Grace Harper. She has a beating heart. Skin prickles like it’s actually hers. A chill vibrates the back of her spine. Everything is okay. Not just because she trusts Dani to make the right decision… but because Dani is making her feel normal. Dani isn’t just making the right decision, some split second thing in the heat of battle. Dani feels right. The moment feels the exact same as a cold, blundery day when the sun appears behind a cloud. The warmth on your features, the hope in your heart. She doesn’t even question if that feels childish. She’s just going with the moment.</p>
<p>Dani’s hand hooks around the back of Grace’s neck, pulling the taller woman’s head down towards her own. “Close your eyes. Pretend it’s just the two of us and nobody else.” Dani whispers, right in Grace’s ear. Grace never relaxes. Yet, blue eyes close, cheek pressing against the side of Dani’s head. There really was just Dani, Grace and Grace’s really loud heartbeats. Grace wants to feel guilty. The Commander needs her and here she is, listening to the music she hasn’t heard since she was a kid, relaxing against Dani’s soft touch. The hand not touching the back of Grace’s neck slid downward, wrapping back around Grace’s bicep. They moved together like they’ve been practicing this dance for years.</p>
<p>“It’s always been you and I. You’re the only one I really see.”</p>
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